McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL, and Walt Disney Co., Burbank, CA, likely will renew their marketing partnership when the initial 10-year deal expires in 2006.
Any new agreement won’t change much from the existing contract, said Disney vp-corporate alliances Grant Palin in the keynote presentation at PROMO Expo yesterday. Palin, who spoke together with McDonald’s vp-USA marketing R.J. Milano, compared the original alliance contract to the Constitution. “When we pull it out to look at it – which isn’t often – we look at the intent, not the precise wording,” Palin said.
Milano and Palin also unveiled a new TV spot for the upcoming joint promo behind Disney/Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.,” opening Nov. 2. The spot features the film’s two star monsters looking for their own character’s toy in Happy Meals. Milano and Palin discussed for the first time how the alliance has performed for both partners the last five years, and where they expect to go in the future — including a first-quarter promo under Disney’s 100 Years of Magic umbrella (October PROMO).
